The Article 48-A says that duty to protect the environment is of

UPPSC 2022

General Knowledge

Easy

Appeared in: UPPSC 2022

Explanation

The question specifically asks about the duty mentioned in Article 48-A of the Indian Constitution.
Article 48-A is part of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) found in Part IV of the Constitution.
Directive Principles are instructions or guidelines for the government. Article 48-A explicitly directs 'The State' to protect and improve the environment.
The term 'The State' in the Constitution has a wide meaning, encompassing the central government, state governments, parliament, state legislatures, and all local or other authorities.

Option A: This is too specific. While the Central Government is part of 'The State', Article 48-A uses the broader term 'The State', which also includes state governments and other public authorities.
Option C: The duty for 'Every Citizen' to protect the environment is mandated under a different article, specifically Article 51A(g), which is a Fundamental Duty, not Article 48-A.
Option D: This option is incorrect because the question is exclusively about Article 48-A, which only mentions 'The State'. It does not mention the duty of citizens.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Constitutional Provisions for Environmental Protection in India as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Civic Awareness: Understanding the constitutional framework for environmental protection is crucial for every citizen, including healthcare professionals, to appreciate the legal and moral basis for public health and environmental policies.
Advocacy Role: Nurses and community health workers often deal with the health consequences of environmental degradation (e.g., respiratory illnesses from air pollution, waterborne diseases). Knowing these constitutional provisions can empower them to advocate for better environmental policies at local and state levels.
What if?: If the question had asked about Article 51A(g) instead of 48-A, the correct answer would have been 'Every Citizen'. This highlights the importance of reading the specific article number cited in a question.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key term in the question, which is 'Article 48-A'.
Recognize that this is a factual recall question from Indian Polity/Civics.
Recall or deduce the part of the Constitution to which Article 48-A belongs. It is a Directive Principle of State Policy (DPSP).
Remember that Directive Principles are directed towards 'The State' to guide its policy-making.
Evaluate the options based on this knowledge. 'The State' is the correct entity addressed in Article 48-A.
Differentiate this from Article 51A(g), a common point of confusion, which assigns the duty to 'Every Citizen'.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart A (pp 26-201 of 604) p. 8-10

E6 Comprehensive Textbook of Community Health NursingShyamala D part 1 (pp 26-389 of 389) p. 142-144